


tell the clock to stop ticking

by terencjusz



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Magical Realism, kuroo appears for 3 seconds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 03:43:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7785424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terencjusz/pseuds/terencjusz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He already knows that thing embracing people is aura and it can be seen only in two colours. Depending on the intensity, he can see when emotions are stronger, from deep gold which is almost brown, to neon yellowish gold he saw once on the pharaoh sarcophagus in the museum. From light grey of soiled snow to darkness of thundery clouds.</p><p>Bokuto Koutarou is able to see people aura and meets someone without it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	tell the clock to stop ticking

**Author's Note:**

> i have holidays, i spent 6 weeks doing nothing because i am train wreck thinking that all problems will solve without me involved in anything (poor soul of mine) 
> 
> +unbeta'ed

  1. **world has become shiny**



Bokuto Koutarou has his 5th birthday when he sees fairies.

They are golden and fly around his mother in large amount, surrounding her. It’s a surprise for him that no one told him about fairies and no one is fascinated about fairies’ colour or simple existing, so he decides to say it out loud. His mother merely smiles indulgently, saying that there are no fairies but a golden confetti strewed over the room because of his birthday. She picks him up and adds that he had baked his favourite cake and Koutarou squeals happily. But the fairies are not forgotten because he can see them all the time from this day.  

  1. **silence is golden but koutarou likes loudness**



Being 10 year-old, Koutarou knows that these fairies are not real and his mother was right. However in the last 5 years he discovers when his father comes home from his job he's usually surrounded by dark grey and when he takes Koutarou for ice cream a greyness disappears and this filthy gold takes it place. His mother, during manicure, has a cloud of light golden glitter around her person, but if coffee spills on her new dress, red like blood and matching her lipstick, gleaming brocade changes into something very dark, almost black.

So, when he wants pizza or new game, he is aware of fact he should wait for ‘good’ colour to appear and then ask for something. He isn’t a very patient child but waiting seems like better option than irking his parents more and not having anything. It's not that he likes silence, he accepted it as an ally.

  1. **everyone has his own hue of emotion**



Koutarou is 15 years old and he already knows that thing embracing people is aura and it can be seen only in two colours. Depending on the intensity, he can see when emotions are stronger, from deep gold which is almost brown, to neon yellowish gold he saw once on the pharaoh sarcophagus in the museum. From light grey of soiled snow to darkness of thundery clouds. There’s no green, scarlet or turquoise but it’s okay, it’s enough.

He meets Kuroo, who gives the impression of being involved in something suspicious like drug dealing, but of course it’s only a pretence. Behind snarky comments and sadistic grin Koutarou sees hidden warmness along with concern about loved ones. Usually they play volleyball but with time, they started talking through Skype, texting each other without particular reason, going to bowl, organizing sleepovers without sleeps and with marathon of movies instead.

However Kuroo is two-part item for the most of the time, so meeting Kenma unavoidable. Koutarou observes how golden glitter around Kuroo is more visible when Kenma is next to him and no, it isn’t a jealously but happiness for his friend because Koutarou likes when people are full of good feelings and emotions. Nobody would like to see world in dark hues, so he tries his best in being polite to others and his world is usually gold thanks to it.

He is just sometimes depressed that he passes so many people on the street and he can’t do anything about colour of stormy cloud around them.

  1. **coffee on the sidewalk doesn’t have colour**



“I’m so sorry,” he is 17-year-old and 10 days, when he says that after running from the Starbucks and crushing into someone. His cappuccino and stranger’s expresso are now a wet stain on the pavement. “Seriously, I’m-”

He notices something odd about the young man he sees.

There’s not even a sparkle of black he should have because someone annoying with white hair and black streaks collided with him, making a cup of black liquid fly and splash on the ground. This person has no grey, black or gold around because he has nothing.

No aura.

Koutarou has never seen someone without colour but next to anxiety is a feeling of excitement. He can’t let a opportunity like this escape and wonder for centuries why would someone not have any indication of own emotions.

Besides, a person in front of him is pretty. Really, Koutarou thinks ‘pretty’ is an understatement.

“What would you say if I get you a coffee?”

Something cracks in the neutral facial expression and Koutarou sees surprise in ebony eyes piercing him right now. Probably shock from little collide and getting an invitation from just met person.

He seems wondering for a moment. “Why not, of course,” he replies decisively. Koutarou beams and regrets that nobody is able to see his aura. It would definitely cheer someone up.

  1. **palette of akaashi keiji**



He learns that his name is Akaashi Keiji, one year younger than him. He is in 2nd year of this high school for artists and he sometimes does graffiti in abandoned buildings. Koutarou sees how Akaashi plays with his fingers, how his heavy eyelids make him look tired, how he sometimes avoids eye contact.

Koutarou tells about himself too. He is in 3rd year of the most normal high school, he has two sisters and his plan is to be a professional volleyball player. Few times he catches himself staring too much at Akaashi because who wouldn’t, Akaashi’s beauty and his lack of aura is slightly alarming.

He still doesn’t know why is that. Because Akaashi is not dead, is he? Fortunately, they enjoy the time they spend together enough to exchange numbers.

Koutarou may or may not fall a little for a person he’s just met.

He would like to know what Akaashi feels but he can’t and it’s something refreshing. He has to figure this out without his ability.

  1. **bitter coffee aura is invisible like akaashi’s**



“I don’t know, Kuro,” 17 years, 1 month and 6 days old Koutarou says, while they are heading to Kenma’s house. “He's really polite. All these formalities and ‘thank you very much’ but he can be pretty passive aggressive about little things. It’s cute but somehow worrying.”

“Okay,” Kuroo spokes slowly.

“Not very okay. He's bitter as fuck and-” he looks for a good words. “Not very comfortable with eye contact-”

“A lot of people isn’t, Kou. It may be really nothing serious or some anxiety thing like Kenma. Plenty of options,” Kuroo says.

“Uh, actually he’s good with people, dealing with their problems and... But it’s like seeing them hurts him, you know?”

  1. **knights are jealous and grey because woman warrior saved a day**



 “Cartoons are fucked up in good way,” Koutarou groans, being at the age of 17 and 4 months. They watched the last episode of American Dragon Jake Long, crisps are scattered on the bed and floor, they’ve just run out of ice tea and Koutarou is not ready to face the reality. Akaashi raises one eyebrow, waiting for explanation. “Imagine, you look for a nice wife, you find nice wife and have two kids with her. After a dozen or so years she tell you that your children are dragons and it’s because of her family heritage.”

Akaashi’s corner of lips rises up. “For sure you won’t have a boring life with family like that.” He fall on his back on Koutarou’s bed. Older observes how Akaashi’s chest rises and falls as he breathes evenly. It’s 4.47AM.

“Sleepy?”

“A little.”

Koutarou shuts down the laptop and put it on the floor, amongst empty bottles and rustling packs with crumbs. They lay on the bed, fixing the blankets and cushions for a moment.

“So, I’ll tell you the story before we go to sleep,” Koutarous says enthusiastically, quiet enough to not be too loud in the night but still not quiet because it’s him, he can’t whisper.

“Fairy tale before sleep? You are reminding me of times when I was 4,” Akaashi comments.

“My older sister used to tell me stories about her riding dragons and saving princesses because male knights were too weak. And she befriended the dragon, didn’t kill it.”

Akaashi cracks a smile. “Oh, it’s sweet. Probably woman warrior knew better how to be more romantic and seduce the innocent princess than knights in these stories. Knowing your sister, it’s certain.”

“Princesses weren’t so innocent,” Koutarou chuckles while younger snorted. “So, not so long ago, because it’s in modern times, there was a boy who could see what other people were feeling. He saw colours around them, indicating him if person was in bad mood or-”

  1. **social standards tell you what is happy (hue of amber) and what is not**



Koutarou is 17 years, 4 months and 16 days old and he straddles the chair and stares at Akaashi who methodically applies a paint on the canvas. It’s full of cold colours: white, baby blue, lavender. It is until Akaashi takes a tube with golden paint.

“Isn’t title of this ‘Forgotten things’?” asks Koutarou.

“It is,” Akaashi responds with focus on the canvas as he uses a paintbrush and helps himself with a finger.

“Golden isn’t sad colour,” Koutarou says. His chest against the back of the chair, legs crossed.

Younger actually stops what he’s doing to look at Koutarou with confusion written on the face. “Isn’t?”

Koutarou looks with bigger confusion “Is it?” Akaashi doesn’t respond and goes back to previous activity, so Koutarou continues. “When people are happy, you can see gold in them... I mean,” _oh, great job Kou, let Akaashi think you are weirdo_. “I mean, we say that someone is shining, like a sun, when they’re happy. So in this way, this person has something gold in them.” Koutarou fights with words as Akaashi seems to  really listen to him.

“Well,” he starts. “I believe that golden is like present in beautiful package. Let’s say, a turquoise ribbon and our metaphorical golden paper wrapped around the thing. You think it’ll be nice gift but after unwrapping it all you sees are old inedible cookies.”

Bokuto observes how Akaashi is really into explanation, as if he really hated the golden colour which is everything but bad thing for Koutarou. Not a once golden has meant that someone is hurt, so the concept of this colour being a definition of despair is incomprehensible.

Akaashi probably thinks he let too much emotion influence his little lecture and blushes slightly in embarrassment. “And by the way, Bokuto-san, colours don’t have to suit atmosphere in art. It should be up to you to decide whether grass is navy blue, hope is black and melancholy seems to be red like lipstick of your mother or sister,” he finishes.  

Koutarou wonders, looking at blue smudge on Akaashi’s cheek and lavender ones on his hands. “They really have red lipstick. Scarlet remind me of being home amongst people I love.”

Akaashi nods at this statement.

Next day, he gets a call from Akaashi who says his teacher also thinks golden isn’t sad colour. Koutarou corrects him that he doesn’t think anymore golden is always nice. It’s just subjective happiness of his and that Akaashi was right.

  1. **Clock has been ticking for a long time**



At the age of 17 years and 5 months, Koutarou picks drunk Akaashi up from party, hoping that younger won’t vomit. Not because he wouldn’t take care of it, but because vomiting is not pleasant feeling.

“Hey hey hey, Akaashi. Let me help you,” Koutarou offers and wraps his strong arm around Akaashi’s waist when the latter slightly sways. Younger leans his forehead against Koutarou’s arm. “Are you feeling sick?”

“’m not.”

“Good,” he sighs with relief but feels something wet on the arm. “Akaas- are you crying?”

“’m not,” he hears muffled reply.

“It was very credible answer,” he mutters to himself. He resigns from wrapping an arm and decides to hug Akaashi  instead, because this boy deserves fucking love, no matter how much he isolates from other people. He feel warm breathe on his neck, hands with long fingers running on his spine.

Akaashi put his cheeks on Koutarou’s arm once more to fry face from one or two tears and raises his head.

“I will tell you the story,” Akaashi whispers eyes almost shut. “Not so long ago, because in our modern times, there was a boy. He was growing up surrounded by strange things around him. Later... he was old enough to recognize these things as a numbers. They were beautiful, pretty hue of gold, but their meaning wasn’t,” he stops and Koutarou feels him shaking so he holds him closer. What is it what he feels, increasing fear or omen of panic along with something in throat?

“What happened to the boy,” he hears himself whisper.

“He was pretty bitter and salty. Jealous that other people didn’t have to see the same things he was seeing. The boy wandered for a bit until he met someone.” Akaashi put a finger against his lip. “This someone didn’t have horrifying numbers above him what was impossible. Being undead or immortal is...” he lets a dry chuckle. “This someone couldn’t be labelled. And our boy didn’t fear special someone disappearing from his life as it was with other people. He feared being left for better people, who weren’t bitter and salty. Because he wanted to see him and his happy golden eyes smiling. He wanted to face the difficulties together. Collide into each other and drink coffee-” Akaashi chokes.

Wave of everything almost tears Koutarou’s heart apart. He is certain he needs to call the ambulance, his heartbeat can’t calm down and he doesn’t even want it to calm down.

Woe unto him who ignores his health and never ignores his feelings.

He knows the end of the story.

“Boy with golden eyes wants to watch American Dragon Jake Long together.”

They stay still chest to chest with wet eyes, hands on each other backs, palpitating hearts, their breathes mixing and wind messing their unruly hair along with the snow.

**Author's Note:**

> protect akaashi keiji at all costs


End file.
